Creationists think that humans walked with dinosaurs, but there are alternative explanations to the evidence below, which do not violate the theory of Evolution.
by Bruce Cornet, Ph.D.
To date two opposing interpretations of "man tracks" have been presented. The Creationist interpretation ignores and misinterprets data according to a preconceived agenda, while the Evolutionist interpretation discounts and/or dismisses (as unrelated) unacceptable data after all examined footprints were determined to be of dinosaurian origin. Kuban (1986b): "In order to avoid any misunderstanding about my motives, I included an "afterward" in the latter article stating that my purpose was "not to attack creationism but to help set the record straight on the true nature of the Paluxy evidence." The purpose of this investigation is to objectively assess and analyse as much evidence as possible using the scientific method, without any preconceptions or ulterior motives. Additional excavations are being planned in order to resolve issues in dispute, along with magnetic surveys in order to locate possible artifacts containing metals, should any exist. When there is doubt, dig further. |
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The problem is - some of the alternative explanations are almost as radical as the theory of Creation (from the standpoint of a conservative scientist).
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The above trackways (McFall I site) show how the humanoid and dinosaur footprints might have became superimposed. Kuban, however, disagrees, and thinks that all such tracks are impressions of dinosaur metatarsals, and therefore incorrectly identified by the Creationists.
 Roll mouse here to see highlighted HUMANOID footprint.Roll mouse here to see highlighted DINOSAUR footprint. (borrowed from and linked to Don Patton's website) Location: Paluxy River, Glen Rose, TX Age: Middle Albian (98 mya) - mid Cretaceous including a tool
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The mystery regarding which interpretation is correct deepens when one considers the consistency of the original mud, and how difficult it must have been to step in-and-out of it, even for a dinosaur. Any humanoid walking in that mud with shoes or boots on would quickly discover that it is easier to walk barefooted, especially after losing their shoes when they became stuck in the mud (or they became stuck and couldn't move with shoes on). Although Kuban dismisses all "superimposed" tracks as dinosaurian metatarsal misidentifications, an intelligent animal might have chosen to walk in dinosaur tracks, because the mud had already been compressed and displaced. In other words, there is a logical explanation for why humanoid and dinosaur trackways might become coincident.
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For a review of The Mysterious Origins of Man see http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/paluxy/nbc.html.
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Courtesy BC
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From: Evidence that Dinosaurs and Humans co-existed. Origin of the Burdick specimen. John Morris described what we knew about where the track was obtained originally.
Dr. Carl Baugh and I determined to find the source and conducted an extensive search. The trail was cold but many of the "old timers" were still around Glen Rose. We interviewed them and we were told what John had been told twenty years earlier. The track came from a tributary of the Paluxy, specifically, Cross Branch. It flows into the Paluxy about three mile south of town. [Baugh and Patton were then able to track down the locality based on the lithology of the rock containing the specimen.] |
Two sizes of humanoid footprints are allegedly present in the footprint layer: 11.5" average length (most common) and 15". The picture below will give you perspective on the size difference for these alleged footprint makers (not on who made them).
Bruce Cornet on left; Stone Mt., NC.
Fossilized humanoid finger cast with
traces of bones inside (catscan).
**Discussion** |
Note: Kuban (On the Heels of Dinosaurs) writes about this fossil: "The "human finger" was reportedly found in a loose gravel pile and thus cannot be linked to a specific formation. Moreover, most workers consider it just an interesting shaped stone, not a real fossilized finger." Examinations of the lithology and catscan seem to contradict Kuban's interpretation that this fossil is unrelated, only an interesting shaped stone, and therefore can be dismissed as evidence. In this author's opinion, such discoveries beg for additional investigation and examination. For example, where is that loose gravel pile located?
The Possibilities
All the hundreds of human-like footprints excavated in numerous digs are hoaxes and/or not well-enough preserved to identify critical anatomical details (these hypotheses appear to have been falsified; however, Kuban has shown that most if not all of the "man tracks" are dinosaurian in origin). **Discussion**
God threw a few zingers into his plan, just to keep us guessing (Gee, wonder if ?).
"Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness (Genesis 1:26)." Hmmmm...... Perhaps this was God who made those footprints, and They came here to inspect Their creation (and needed a rock hammer, right ?!). **Discussion**
Creationists have won the battle: No Evolution (highly unlikely given the preponderance of data in support of evolution; see evidence for both punctuated and gradual evolution almost at the gene level, with missing links: Crinopolles pollen evolution in the Triassic). **Discussion**
The footprints represent visiting astronauts from another world (possible, but doesn't that raise the possibility that they were bipedal humanoids who walked upright, had feet like us, and may even have looked something like us ?). Uh oh! Does this take us back to the "They" problem above ?
The footprints represent humans from our future, who discovered how to travel back in time; the severed finger and discarded hammer (with broken handle?) might indicate that some of them weren't so lucky (i.e. dino snack). **Discussion**
Why don't you think up a realistic alternative explanation ? - one that does not ignore factual evidence, such as thickness and extent of strata, age dating, time constraints, fossils, genetic data, etc. That's the scientific method. Send your explanation to bcornet@monmouth.com, or go to Feedback form at Sirius Onion Works
by clicking on comment form below). The best explanations will be posted here, with the author's permission.
Original figure (modified below) from DINOSAUR TRACKS AND PLANTS
This was no Biblical flood deposit, folks!
Below: Paleogeographic reconstruction of land masses and oceans for Middle Albian (Cretaceous). The Square marked #1 is approximate location of Paluxy River footprint locality. During Early Albian time the shoreline was closer to the square. The shoreline migrated northward as the sea transgressed further inland during the Albian.
Text-figures 1 and 3 taken from Srivastava, Satish K., 1981. Stratigraphic Ranges of Selected Spores and Pollen from the Fredericksburg Group (Albian) of the Southern United States. Palynology. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Foundation, pp. 1-27. Age assignments changed slightly (1966 to 1972) with additional research and more data.
See how palynology (fossil spores and pollen) is used to age date these rocks.
An in depth look at the geologic and paleontologic evidence and its implications can be found here (55 pages):
Is Biological Evolution molded by a template defined by physical environment?
In quest of the reason why Darwin avoided using the word "Evolution".
For those interested in researching the footprint data, and wading through all the unsubstantiated assumptions (e.g. you can tell what the rest of an animal looked like from its feet impressions), incorrect fossil identifications (e.g. Lepidodendron did not exist during the Cretaceous - Frenelopsis did, however), premature conclusions (e.g. except for answering the skeptics, alternative explanations like those provided above were not considered), and opinions/biases (e.g. All "out of order" fossils from Texas are lacking in scientific support),
Creation Evidence Museum
http://www.creationevidence.org/
by Dr. Carl BaughTaylor Trail: Evidence that Dinosaurs and Humans Coexisted
http://www.bible.ca/tracks/taylor-trail.htm
by Dr. Don PattonGlen Rose Trackway
http://www.amnh.org/Exhibition/Expedition/Treasures/Glen_Rose_Trackway/glenrose.html The Texas Dinosaur/"Man Track" Controversy
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/paluxy.html
Home Page of Glen J. Kuban A Review of NBC's "The Mysterious Origins of Man"
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/paluxy/nbc.html
by Glen J. KubanOn the Heels of Dinosaurs
The "Burdick Print"
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/paluxy/onheel.html
by Glen J. Kuban
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/paluxy/wilker5.html
by Glen J. KubanKuban, Glen J. 1986b, A Summary of The Taylor Site Evidence. Creation/Evolution, V. 6, No. 1, p. 10-18.
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/paluxy/tsite.htmlHave fun!
Dr. Bruce Cornet
Geologist and Paleontologist
bcornet@monmouth.comDate this page was last edited: 07/27/2004
